# Code Reduction

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [February 21, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786 "2008-02-21T15:56:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/1 "2008-02-21T15:56:39Z")

</div>

I am using ERB templates in my code. It seems too big, can’t get my head  
around on how to reduce it. I am sure this can be made smaller. My  
problem is that if there ain’t any flash messages than the contained  
HTML shouldn’t be rendered at all.

\<% if flash[:notice] %\>

  
  
\<%= flash[:notice] %\>  
   

  
\<% end %\>

\<% if flash[:error] %\>

  
  
\<%= flash[:error] %\>  
   

  
\<% end %\>

thanks.

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**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/2 "2008-02-21T16:02:56Z")

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Hey,

If you call your CSS class for a `notice’ flash NoticeMessage isntead of  
just Message, you can make it simple like this:

\<% flash.each do |k, v| %\>  
\<% if v %\>

  
  
\<%= v %\>  
   

  
\<% end %\>  
\<% end %\>

Cheers,  
Arlen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/3 "2008-02-21T16:15:23Z")

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Hiya,

On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 2:07 AM, Jigar G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> The “if v” can be removed, cause if the key exists than there is no  
> problem in rendering its value.

Good point, I’m asleep!

Thanks a lot, that was a really quick reply.

No problems.

> I just love ruby, cause so much can be expressed in so less.

You’re absolutely right. 🙂 I recently read a good article to this  
effect:  
“Do not learn Ruby”  
[Do not learn Ruby « Programblings](http://webmat.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/do-not-learn-ruby/). It’s a fun  
read.

Cheers,  
Arlen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/4 "2008-02-21T16:08:00Z")

</div>

Cool, thanks.

The “if v” can be removed, cause if the key exists than there is no  
problem in rendering its value.

Thanks a lot, that was a really quick reply.

I just love ruby, cause so much can be expressed in so less.

Arlen C. wrote:

> Hey,
> 
> If you call your CSS class for a `notice’ flash NoticeMessage isntead of  
> just Message, you can make it simple like this:
> 
> \<% flash.each do |k, v| %\>  
> \<% if v %\>
> 
>   
>   
> \<%= v %\>  
>    
> 
>   
> \<% end %\>  
> \<% end %\>
> 
> Cheers,  
> Arlen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/5 "2008-02-21T16:21:05Z")

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from: [Do not learn Ruby « Programblings](http://webmat.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/do-not-learn-ruby/)

"Ruby will get under your skin. You will miss its features and quirks  
when you’re not using it. You might even find other languages  
insufferable, once you get comfortable with Ruby.

After you’ve started using Ruby, there’s a significant chance you’ll  
start loathing whatever code base you currently have to work on.  
Especially if it’s a statically compiled language. A code base you used  
to think was ok, except for its few quirks."

thats exactly what I am experiencing now 🙂

thanks for pointing it out.

Arlen C. wrote:

> Hiya,
> 
> On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 2:07 AM, Jigar G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
> wrote:
> 
> > The “if v” can be removed, cause if the key exists than there is no  
> > problem in rendering its value.
> 
> Good point, I’m asleep!
> 
> Thanks a lot, that was a really quick reply.
> 
> No problems.
> 
> > I just love ruby, cause so much can be expressed in so less.
> 
> You’re absolutely right. 🙂 I recently read a good article to this  
> effect:  
> “Do not learn Ruby”  
> [Do not learn Ruby « Programblings](http://webmat.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/do-not-learn-ruby/). It’s a fun  
> read.
> 
> Cheers,  
> Arlen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/6 "2008-02-21T16:30:42Z")

</div>

On Feb 21, 2008, at 10:14 AM, Arlen C. wrote:

> Thanks a lot, that was a really quick reply.  
> fun read.
> 
> Cheers,  
> Arlen.

Or put one of these in your application\_helper (not both, or combine  
them yourself) (Apologies for the inevitable email wrapping 😉

module ApplicationHelper

COLORS = Hash.new(‘#ff0000’).merge!({ :notice =\> ‘#00ff00’,  
:warning =\> ‘#ff9900’,  
:error =\> ‘#ff0000’,  
}) unless const\_defined? ‘COLORS’

# Shows the flash message(s) with a highlight effect

def flash\_div(\*keys)  
keys.collect { |key|  
content\_tag(:div, flash[key],  
:id =\> “#{key}”,  
:class =\> “flash”) if flash[key]  
}.join +  
keys.collect { |key|  
javascript\_tag(visual\_effect(:highlight, “#{key}”,  
:startcolor =\> “‘#{COLORS[key]}’”,  
:endcolor =\> “‘#ffffff’”)) if  
flash[key]  
}.join  
end

# Shows the flash message(s), but they go away when clicked. An

options hash will be applied to a surrounding div tag.  
def flash\_div(\*keys)  
return ‘’ if keys.blank?  
options = { :id =\> ‘flash’ }  
options.update(keys.pop) if keys.last.is\_a? Hash  
content\_tag(:div,  
keys.collect { |key|  
content\_tag(:div,  
flash[key], :id =\> “#{key}-  
flash”, :class =\> “#{key} section”,  
:onClick =\> “new Effect.Fade(this);”)  
if flash[key]  
}.join,  
options)  
end

end

And then in your views (or layout):

```
   <%= flash_div :notice, :warning, :error -%>

```

Then toss in some CSS to taste and serve warm.

-Rob

Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com)  
removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cujigar](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cujigar)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/code-reduction/129786/7 "2008-02-21T16:38:36Z")

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thanks this is cool too.

I don’t know why, but I don’t like generating HTML pragmatically.

Maybe the fear came from outputting HTML directly from Servlets as java  
strings. Ahaa those were the days 🙂

Rob B. wrote:

> Or put one of these in your application\_helper (not both, or combine  
> them yourself) (Apologies for the inevitable email wrapping 😉